lantern light is it too much?

[Guest]

I was crappie fishing sunday and didn't have any mantles for my gas lantern so I took my krytpton lantern. I did pretty good using that light.I bought mantles the next day and went out to the same Lake with my gas lantern and did not do as good. Has anybody else had the same problem or any comments or suggestions?

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Just say yes to icefishing!

[Guest]

Yep,

If I'm fishing in 15ft. or less I use either candles (if the wind isn't blowing too hard) or I bought one of the Coleman single-mantle lanterns at Galyans ($14) that screws onto the 1lb. Propane tank--this thing is great, I can adjust it down or up for all conditions and it fits in my gear bag no problem.

I think Crappies (in shallow water) are way more light sensitive than Walleyes.

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Chells

[Guest]

I think high intensity light is poor more due to shadows. Fish learn to fear shadows, light is not the spooky think most of the time.

I spend lots of time night fishing on open water and on the ice and I am convinced low frequency light is a better option. Certain light bands are far less spooky to fish as they emit less of a harsh shadow, and thus lessen the spook factor.

I stopped using High intensity lanterns a year or so back. I have now found other options that have convinced me it is a real concern, softer light makes a better bite.

[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 02-06-2003).]

[Gadgetman]

On the other hand, my buddies and I have on many occasions drilled holes in the ice, not all the way thru, to put the lanterns in to get more light under the ice. Seems that it attracts small critters that in turn attract bigger critters that in turn attract the crappies. Try it some time it really seems to work. Oh, also, when you leave for the night drill the holes thru so somebody doesnt break a leg at a latter date

[Guest]

I have found that when fishing with friends that insist on throwing a billion candle powers worth of light on the lake, I will do much better if I stay outside that light.
Yes, light does attract baitfish, but not as much as is talked up to be. The light also drives light sensitive plankton to the outer edges of the light and that is where you'll find the predators as well as most of the baitfish. Bright light is not natural on dark nights.....fish are not stupid and I believe more times than not the light issue spooks fish.
I am with Chells, thing single mantel lanterns that tie on top and bottom are perfect and a guy would have to try to break the globe or mantels! My 2c

[This message has been edited by chiro (edited 02-06-2003).]

[bennybear]

I have found both situations to be true. In my area I would not bring a coleman lantern on one lake for fishing as it would scare the fish. On that lake I use a candlier lantern to good success.
There have also been times that I have been "taken to school" by people that surrounded thier fishhouses with bright lanterns.
IMHO the candle lantern is a comfortable light source inside a fishouse, and usually effective, especially on shallow lakes or lakes with minimum snowcover.

[Guest]

I knew you guys would have some good info and thank you all for your help and ideas. The Lake I'm fishing is fairly shallow and I will try your suggestions. I'm heading out tonight and I'll respond when I return thanks. Grinched.

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Just say yes to icefishing!

[juggs]

I've seen it first hand. After dark, guys with just enough light to see what they're doing did much better. I have an In-fisherman crappie video which has a segment on night fishing and ol' Al insists on fishing at the edge of the light instead of right by it.

[Guest]

Ya, well..lanters on the ice will soon be obsolete anyway.

Eh Scoot?

[Mykal]

Reminds me of a night Launch trip on Mille Lacs. Those things light up the whole area and 10-20 feet off the sides. Even in the deep water like 35 feet we would see the best bobber action on the edge of that light or directly under the boat. Not in the lighted areas. I fish out of a wood bottom portable so my Coleman lantern is okay unless I am in really shallow water. Then I would place the lantern on the floor and cover the back corner hole where the light is sitting. Plus, I turn it down so I can barely see.

[Guest]

Here is my two pennies. I seem to do fine with having adequate light in my clam. I would be careful drilling holes and putting light in them as it may not be too legal. i know there are laws against shining light into the water, I just don't know if they would apply there. Good luck out there.

MJ

[Guest]

I tried moving the lantern 30' away and I was on the edge of the light It was more productive.Thanks.

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Just say yes to icefishing!

[This message has been edited by grinched (edited 02-07-2003).]

[Guest]

Good point chiro!

I too have seen more walleye and other predators on the peripheral of the lighted areas, and not in the light.

[Guest]

The eyes of the 'Eyes are designed to see in the dark...

My hook setting hand is beginning to twitch...

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Chells

[Dakota Iceman]

Ok....For the sake of argument im going to respond to this question. I am not a professional tour fisherman by any stretch of the imagination, i do not use electronics to find my fish although i am not opposed to those that do. I have been fishing through the ice for 25 years from michigan to the missouri river. I use a coleman lantern when i fish at night and always have. My point being.....when did fish get educated? Fisherman have been using coleman lanterns since their invention and i for one will place a double mantle dual fuel lantern at full blast down on the ice inside my portable shack between two 8" holes and catch wally's all night long... i am not the only fisherman throughout time who has used this method to supply light when out fishing in the dark. Can the fish see the light? I'm sure they are able to....does it adversly affect them biting your bait? I think not....generations of ice fisherman have been/continue to have successful nightime bites using various forms of light..some placed near others away from the hole. At some point we have to assume that the techinical advancments made by mankind although make ice fishing more comfortable...they do not dictate how and when a fish decides to bite...they bite when they are hungry, and we all hope that they continue to do so. signed, "Old School".

[Guest]

Dakota Iceman,
I think all that we are saying is the bigger(lived longer, smarter, luckier, caught and released before, whatever) predators will tend to stay on the periphery as that is where the bait will congregate most. I too have caught many eyes and crappie under full light but, have caught many more on the outside especially when they are highly pressured. Depth makes a huge difference as well.

[Guest]

Early Ice-man was sure to think Dark=Bad, Light=Good...UGH! They often got blinded by campfire and ate up by sneaky saber-tooth Kitty too.

Yet experience has shown me (Da Modern Ice-Man) that Soft-Light=Good, Harsh Bright-Light=Bad!

I plan to retain my night vision, catch lots of fish, and still be able to see big Kitty.....before it eats me.

[Crappie Killer]

Ed, you take a computer class recently or something?

[Guest]

Chiro and ed are right. the edge of the light and soft light makes sense.I too have had good luck with the lantern by the holes in twenty five foot, but I was fishin in 7' and the fish were spooky. I heading out again tonight. Good < )\\\\><{ing.

[mr marbles]

After reading Ed's post and then reading crappie killers post i laughed my --- off, thanks for the laugh! Good fishin!

[Guest]

A light diffuser added to a lanterns is a option too. It will cut back on light and allow for some focus of light options to the user.

For most of my early ice hunting days I used a lantern as my main heat source more then a light source. I manufactured a stainless steel mess screen/grid at work and slid it over the mantle glass. The screen caught extra heat and cut back on light. Bad deal was if you bumped it, you could get a nasty burn, or it could melt mono, that bugger got VERY HOT!

I broke my fair share of mantle globes, spilled fuel, countless mantles, melted fish trap tarps, and received 3-deg burns on my hand from an exploding lantern, so after a while I gave up on lanterns as way too much of a hassle.

Now days I opt for high tech clothing and a more user friendly and safe light source.

Some FM.com anglers have seen my new lighting system and know where my efforts were focused, and how well it works. I feel it is the look of things to come on the ice.

Lanterns are still the best option for many, yet for me they have less use on the ice then before.

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 02-09-2003).]

[Guest]

night phishing for crappies is the bomb! any serious crappiefisher knows that nighttime is the righttime for crappies.my vex will always light up full with planton and baitfish and i will jig n many holes around the light(holes r predrilled)and the crappies r not far behind them,me and my partner will drill many holes and fish out just far enough where will can still c our lines to detect the very light bites,so thats r plan,drill many holes aroun the light and fish them fast and hard-and also when fishing the nightbite CHUMMING WORKS GREAT!JUST DROP SOME MAGGOTS DOWN N THE HOLES AND WELL U KNOW THE REST

[Scoot]

I missed this one 'til now. I'm with Ed regarding this issue. The source of light he's referring to is the "cat's meow".
Scoot

[merc]

Just my experience. Went to Upper Red last year with my son twice, he shovels all the snow away from his fish trap and used a propane lantern, I left all the snow on the ice and used an old beat up gas lantern that barely gives off light. First time was 15 crappie for me and 2 for him, second trip 15 for me and 3 for him. I firmly believe too much light spooks the fish. Not only from these trips but many other nights also. Good luck fishing!!

[bennybear]

I prefer the UCO candlier lanterns on shallow lakes, backed up by an L.E.D. equipped head light. Two purposes are served by this setup. One is not repelling the large fish (IE the ones that have survived because they don't get harvested) and number two, I don't attract competing fishermen from miles away.
In fact, on Big Kandiyohi lake I never caught a nice walleye (20+)ice fishing untill I turned off the Coleman lantern. For years I thought the lake had nothing but 12 in walleyes in it because of the stock/harvest cycle performed on it. As it turns out walleyes that are comfortable in the bright light got harvested rather quickly and the ones that were a little shy survived longer.